The 2024 International LGBTQI+ Activism Summit (October 8–10, 2024) is an immersive learning experience that brings together LGBTQI+ leaders from around the world to learn proven strategies for catalyzing powerful social movements that dismantle myths and stigma harming these communities worldwide. Participants delve into cutting-edge approaches with Harvard faculty and fellow activists, gaining insights to champion LGBTQI+ rights, challenge discrimination, and drive systemic change.
This year, 20 activists join us from 20 different countries around the world to learn from Harvard faculty and their peers.
2024 Participants
Enosa Adera
Kenya
Programs Lead, Trans* Alliance
Enosa Adera is a passionate African queer, trans feminist and gender minority human rights defender. For the last 5 years, their work has been centered around LGBTQI activism both in creating inclusive societies and creating awareness and community capacity to demand services and take control of their freedom and human rights. Enosa hold a bachelor’s degree in Community Health and Development. They have been trained on human rights mechanisms by Pan African ILGA and strategies on African Commission on Human and People’s Rights by Outright International. Enosa is currently the Programs Associate at Trans*Alliance, a member of Community Advisory Board at KELIN, and represents the Kenyan Chapter of Free to Be Me Community of Action.
Amar Alfikar
Indonesia
Board Representative for East and Southeast Asia, Global Interfaith Network for People of All Sexes, Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities & Expressions
Amar Alfikar is an Indonesian trans man activist and queer theology enthusiast with expertise and experience within activism challenging religious-based queerphobia, as well as pushing queer-inclusive narratives in theology. He is one of the Qur'an teachers at Al-Fatah Islamic school, an inclusive school led and founded by the trans women community in Yogyakarta Indonesia. Currently, he serves as a Board Representative for East and Southeast Asia at Global Interfaith Network for People of All Sexes, Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities & Expressions. He has published several books in Indonesian language, including "Queering Interpretation: Islamic Theology for Queer Identities" (2023) and “Islam and Queer Bodies” (YIFoS, 2022), among others.
Bright Amoabeng
Ghana
Interfaith Advocacy Lead, LGBT+ Rights Ghana
Bright Amoabeng holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Professional Studies, Accra. He has long been passionate about safeguarding human rights and advocating for marginalized populations. Prior to his time at LGBT+ Rights Ghana, Bright worked as a Peer Educator with the West African Aids Foundation, focused on reaching out to HIV/AIDS key populations and offering assistance and knowledge on HIV/AIDS prevention and management. Additionally, Bright has multiple years of experience working with and lobbying alongside several grassroots organizations for LGBT+ rights in Ghana. Bright began his work at LGBT+ Rights Ghana as the Coordinator of a project dubbed “We are all Ghana."
Dilya Gafurova
Russia
Executive Director, Sphere Foundation
Dilya Gafurova is a Russia-born Tatar human rights activist, political scientist, and researcher on gender-based violence and policymaking tied to traditional values ideology. She heads Sphere Foundation as its executive director. Sphere Foundation is a human rights organization that has been central to forwarding the rights of the LGBTQIA+ people in Russia and supporting Russian grassroots regional queer initiatives from all across the country since 2011.
Vidda Guzzo
Brazil
Policy and Advocacy Director, Intersex Brazil
Vidda Guzzo is an intersex transgender woman and LGBTI rights advocate based in Brasília, Brazil. With nine years of combined experience as a researcher, professional, and human rights defender, she has worked extensively on SOGIESC issues and international human rights law. Vidda has contributed to national state institutions, international, national, and local organizations, as well as diverse research and civil society groups. She currently serves as the Policy and Advocacy Director at Intersex Brazil and the Policy, Law, and Research Director at the Libertarian Trans Union. Vidda holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations from the University of Brasília and a Master's Degree in Political Science.
Imran Hamid
Bangladesh
Project Coordinator, Inclusive Bangladesh
Imran Hamid is a human rights and climate activist who has dedicated his academic and professional journey to understanding and addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by marginalized communities in Bangladesh. Growing up in an underprivileged, marginalized community gave Hamid the thought of being able to help his community through work; thus, he has affiliated with organizations focused on SOGIESC human rights, climate action, and youth leadership. Hamid currently works as a project coordinator at Inclusive Bangladesh and leads five development projects for the marginalized SOGIESC people that promote peace, justice, and inclusion.
Alex Hernandez Muro
Peru
Director of Projects and Research, Más Igualdad Perú
Alex Hernández Muro is a psychologist, author, and researcher. They have conducted research and intervention projects on gender-based violence and mental health, also in the Congress of the Republic. In 2019, they published the study "Mental Health of LGBTQ People in Peru," as part of Mas Igualdad Peru, a feminist LGBTI organization. They are also the author of the book "Republic of Invisibles" which was published in 2022 by the Department of Culture of Peru. Muro is the Director of Projects and Research at Más Igualdad Perú, leading the design and execution of the organization's projects in areas such as political advocacy, mental health and strengthening of grassroots organizations.
Saro Imran
Pakistan
Founder, PINK Center
Saro Imran is a Transgender Community Activist from South Punjab, a geographically deprived region of Pakistan. Being transgender was not easy in South Punjab. In 2008, she was 15 years old when a mob attacked her due to her gender identity. She was badly injured, physically and emotionally. She has been working in the field of transgender rights since 2013 and has worked with various national and international organizations. Imran completed her M.Phil. in commerce and is the founder of PINK Center, a social enterprise with the vision to create and build up a circle of innovative arrangements across different organized verticals to achieve a economic change for transgender people in Pakistan.
Achary Lamyaâ
Morocco
Maghreb Researcher, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Lamyaâ Achary is a sociologist and human rights researcher with over a decade of experience in analytical research, policy analysis, and nonprofit advocacy. They have committed their career to advancing women’s and SOGIE rights, particularly in Morocco and North Africa. Lamyaâ has led campaigns to end the detention of queer individuals, facilitated access to legal representation, organized public debates, and advocated for legal reforms. They have collaborated with various feminist and queer organizations across Africa and the Middle East. Currently, Lamyaâ works as a Maghreb researcher with the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and is a member of the board of directors of the African Women's Development Fund (AWDF).
Glenroy Murray
Jamaica
Executive Director, Equality for All Foundation/J-FLAG
Glenroy Murray is a social justice and human rights advocate with specific focus on LGBT rights, women’s rights and youth development in Jamaica. He is the Executive Director at Equality for All Foundation/J-FLAG and tutors Constitutional, Criminal and Human Rights Law at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. Murray also served as a member of the inaugural National Youth Advisory Council of Jamaica from 2016 to 2018. He has a Bachelor of Laws from the UWI Mona, a Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School and a Master of Laws in Law, Development and Globalisation from the School of Oriental and African Studies in the University of London.
Kasha Nabagesera
Uganda
Founder and Executive Director, Kuchu Times Media Group; Founder, Uganda LGBTIQ+ Movement
Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera is a distinguished leader and advocate with over 24 years of dedicated experience in driving transformative change, strategic development, and community engagement. Nabagesera has made a profound impact through her work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), focusing particularly on LGBTIQ+ rights and marginalized communities. She has founded and co-founded several influential organizations, including the Uganda LGBTIQ+ Movement, Freedom and Roam Uganda, Sexual Minorities Uganda, and Kuchu Times Media Group. Her efforts have been instrumental in advancing LGBTIQ+ rights, fostering feminist movements, and supporting human rights initiatives across Africa.
Sirr Ninga
Kenya
Human Rights Defender and Digital Media Officer, Galck+
A collector of queer joy experiences, Mark Ninga is a passionate human rights defender and digital media officer at galck+ in Kenya, an organization dedicated to advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in Kenya. With a deep commitment to amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities, Ninga leverages digital platforms to create spaces where queer identities are celebrated and protected. Through his work, he aims to change societal narratives, fostering acceptance and understanding for LGBTQ+ individuals across the country. At Galck+, he champions the rights of LGBTQ+ people, ensuring their visibility and dignity in every facet of life.
Tomke Ptasiński
Poland
Advocacy Coordinator, Kampania Przeciw Homofobii (Campaign Against Homophobia)
Tomke Ptasiński is a human rights lawyer and activist based in Warsaw, Poland, currently working as Advocacy Coordinator at the Polish LGBTI+ rights NGO Kampania Przeciw Homofobii (Campaign Against Homophobia). They have been working, volunteering, and leading grassroots initiatives in human rights advocacy for over eight years. Ptasiński has been a volunteer project coordinator with Amnesty International Poland, where they co-founded the LGBTI rights team Queer Amnesty, worked as Hate Crime Consultant for the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and supported other groups and activists as a human rights educator and training facilitator.
Yilan Qiao
China
Program Associate, CIFAL Bangkok, Asian Institute of Technology
Yilan Qiao currently works as a Program Associate with CIFAL Bangkok at the Asian Institute of Technology. Qiao is dedicated to enhancing the well-being of marginalized groups and the capacity-building of development practitioners, with a strong focus on gender equality, human rights, humanitarian aid, and education. Her professional journey includes extensive experience with local NGOs, the ASEAN Research Center, and international organizations.
Dhia Rezki Rohaizad
Malaysia
Research Consultant, International LGBTI Association (ILGA World); Deputy President, JEJAKA
Dhia Rezki Rohaizad is a human rights defender and social scientist from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Throughout his career, he has worked in the areas of educational equity, HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, and LGBTQ equality in local and international non-governmental organizations, as well as in grassroots movements. He is a Research Consultant with the International LGBTI Association (ILGA World) and the lead co-author of the organization’s flagship publication of 2024: “Laws On Us”. He is also the Deputy President of JEJAKA and belongs to the executive committee of the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Ministry of Health in overseeing the strategic implementation of Malaysia’s HIV/AIDS response.
Rondell Trim
Barbados
Executive Director, Equals Barbados
Rondell Trim isthe Executive Director of Equals Barbados, one of the primary LGBTQ+ organizations in Barbados, He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, receiving a bachelor’s degree in economics. His passion for personal and social betterment has brought him to a variety of different NGOs and youth organizations, serving in numerous capacities in the United Youth Leaders of Barbados, the Barbados Boy Scout Association, and the Barbados National Youth Parliament, representing young Barbadians both locally and regionally on a multiplicity of topics such as gender-based violence, educational reformation, and mental health.
Henry Tse
Hong Kong
Founder and Chair, Transgender Equality Hong Kong
Henry Tse is a transgender man from Hong Kong who is best known for successfully overturning the Hong Kong-wide inhumane policy requiring “full sex reassignment surgery” for changing one’s ID card gender marker, through 2 judicial review lawsuits from 2017 to 2024. As an LGBTI+ rights activist, his specialization has been in strategic litigation and gender recognition legislation in order to systemically improve the lives of the transgender and LGBTI+ community. Henry is the founder and chair of Transgender Equality Hong Kong, a community-led charity that aims at bridging the knowledge gaps in the LGBTI+ rights movement, creating impactful campaigns, and serving transpeople who are the most disadvantaged.
Omar van Reenen
Namibia
Co-founder, Equal Namibia
Omar van Reenen is a civil rights activist and the co-founder of Equal Namibia, the largest civil rights movement in the country since independence. Van Reenen's advocacy was instrumental in landmark victories such as the 2023 Supreme Court ruling recognizing same-sex marriages concluded abroad and the 2024 High Court decision decriminalizing apartheid-era sodomy laws. Van Reenen holds a master’s degree from the Center for Human Rights and has completed the International LGBTI Youth and Student Organization Activist Academy, the Young African Leaders Initiative and Human Rights Campaign Global Innovator Fellowships. Their grassroots activism extends beyond Namibia, earning them recognition as one of The Guardian's "most inspiring persons of 2023."
Yuri Yoursky
Estonia
LGBTI Pathways Regional Officer, ILGA World
Yuri Yoursky is a Ukraine-born and Estonia-based LGBTQ activist and is currently working at ILGA World as the LGBTI Pathways Regional Officer. Yoursky holds a Master's Degree in International Relations and Europe-Asian studies, and is in the process of obtaining Ph.D. in Public Administration with a research topic of “Sustainable Organizational Development of Small Non-Profit NGOs." Yoursky started his activist’s path with Ukrainian community-led organization “Gender Zed” in Zaporizhzhya and served communities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia for more than seven years communities as a Programs Lead of ECOM – Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity.
Unnamed Participant
Turkey